Auction engine for subscribing to criteria based results

Abstract

Example methods, apparatuses, and systems (e.g., machines) are presented for an auction platform that determines winning bids for high value digital message content using a multi-tiered share-rank system. The auction platform allows for subscribers to bid for merely a share of a set of high value digital message content. Multiple other subscribers may also bid for the same share amount of the set of high value digital message content. The collective bids of multiple subscribers that equals the entire set of the high value digital message content is then compared against other subscribers who have formed collective bids by different sized shares.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of an auction platform for conducting an auction for a set of digital message content, the set of digital message content capable of being subdivided into multiple portions of digital message content, the method comprising:
 accessing, by the auction platform, an auction criteria expression from a subscriber of the auction engine, the auction criteria expression comprising:
 a description of auction content to bid on that is associated with the set of digital message content; 
 a bidding amount representing a portion of the set of digital message content that the subscriber intends to bid on, wherein the portion is a subset of the entire set of digital message content; and 
 a bid-price representing a price that the subscriber is willing to pay for the bidding amount portion of the digital message content; 
   evaluating, by a natural language processing engine of the auction platform, the auction criteria expression to determine a bid associated with the digital message content, the bid comprising:
 the description of the digital message content; 
 the portion of the set of digital message content that the subscriber wants to bid on; and 
 the bid-price of that portion; 
   placing the bid into the auction for the set of digital message content by placing the bid into a share-rank, the share-rank comprising all bids from a plurality of subscribers bidding for only the portion of the set of digital message content;   determining, by the auction platform, that the subscriber's bid is associated with a winning share-rank for the set of the digital message content; and   notifying, by the auction platform, the subscriber that the subscriber's bid is a winning bid and is associated with the winning share-rank for the set of the digital message content.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the subscriber's bid is associated with a winning share-rank for the set of the digital message content comprises determining an accumulated bid-price for the share-rank that the subscriber's bid is placed into;
 comparing the accumulated bid-price of the subscriber's bid's share-rank to other accumulated bid-prices of other share-ranks; and   determining that the accumulated bid-price of the subscriber's bid's share-rank is the highest accumulated bid-price.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a plurality of additional winning subscribers' bids belonging to the winning share-rank; and   notifying, by the auction platform, the plurality of additional winning subscribers that their respective winning bids are associated with the winning share-rank for the set of the digital message content.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein evaluating the auction criteria expression to determine a bid associated with the digital message content comprises utilizing natural language processing, machine learning, and Universal Human Relevance System programming to evaluate the auction criteria expression. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the auction for the set of digital message content comprises a plurality of share-ranks, the plurality of share ranks including:
 a first share-rank representing all bids that each want to bid on the entire set of the digital message content;   a second share-rank representing all bids that each want to bid on half of the set of the digital message content;   a third share-rank representing all bids that each want to bid on a third of the set of the digital message content; and   a fourth share-rank representing all bids that each want to bid on a fourth of the set of the digital message content.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the auction platform, that the subscriber has a quota of funds to spend that has not yet been expended through winning one or more auctions. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the auction platform, that the subscriber has reached a quota limit by being associated with the winning share-rank for the digital message content. 
     
     
         8 . An auction system for conducting an auction for a set of digital message content, the set of digital message content capable of being subdivided into multiple portions of digital message content, the auction system comprising:
 an auction engine;   a portal for interfacing with one or more subscribers; and   a natural language processing engine;   wherein:
 the auction engine is configured to:
 access, via the portal, an auction criteria expression from a subscriber, the auction criteria expression comprising:
 a description of auction content to bid on that is associated with the set of digital message content; 
 a bidding amount representing a portion of the set of digital message content that the subscriber intends to bid on, wherein the portion is a subset of the entire set of digital message content; and 
 a bid-price representing a price that the subscriber is willing to pay for the bidding amount portion of the digital message content; 
 
 
 the natural language processor is configured to evaluate the auction criteria expression to determine a bid associated with the digital message content, the bid comprising:
 the description of the digital message content; 
 the portion of the set of digital message content that the subscriber wants to bid on; and 
 the bid-price of that portion; 
 
 and the auction engine is further configured to:
 place the bid into the auction for the set of digital message content by placing the bid into a share-rank, the share-rank comprising all bids from a plurality of subscribers bidding for only the portion of the set of digital message content; 
 determine that the subscriber's bid is associated with a winning share-rank for the set of the digital message content; and 
 notify the subscriber that the subscriber's bid is a winning bid and is associated with the winning share-rank for the set of the digital message content. 
 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein determining that the subscriber's bid is associated with a winning share-rank for the set of the digital message content
 comprises determining an accumulated bid-price for the share-rank that the subscriber's bid is placed into;   comparing the accumulated bid-price of the subscriber's bid's share-rank to other accumulated bid-prices of other share-ranks; and   determining that the accumulated bid-price of the subscriber's bid's share-rank is the highest accumulated bid-price.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the auction engine is further configured to:
 determine a plurality of additional winning subscribers' bids belonging to the winning share-rank; and   notify the plurality of additional winning subscribers that their respective winning bids are associated with the winning share-rank for the set of the digital message content.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein evaluating the auction criteria expression to determine a bid associated with the digital message content comprises utilizing natural language processing, machine learning, and Universal Human Relevance System programming to evaluate the auction criteria expression. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the auction for the set of digital message content comprises a plurality of share-ranks, the plurality of share ranks including:
 a first share-rank representing all bids that each want to bid on the entire set of the digital message content;   a second share-rank representing all bids that each want to bid on half of the set of the digital message content;   a third share-rank representing all bids that each want to bid on a third of the set of the digital message content; and   a fourth share-rank representing all bids that each want to bid on a fourth of the set of the digital message content.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the auction engine is further configured to determine that the subscriber has a quota of funds to spend that has not yet been expended through winning one or more auctions. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the auction engine is further configured to determine that the subscriber has reached a quota limit by being associated with the winning share-rank for the digital message content.